Campanula plant named ‘White Royal’

ABSTRACT

A new distinct cultivar of  Campanula  plant named ‘WHITE ROYAL’ characteristics by it&#39;s upright and compact plant habit with a dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth rate and no need for chemical growth retardation; many uniform and white flowers and dark green leaves; and good flower longevity on plant.

Botanical designation: Campanula portenschlagiana.

Variety denomination: ‘WHITE ROYAL’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCampanula plant, botanical known as Campanula portenschlagiana Schult.,commonly known as Dalmatian Bellflower, and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name ‘WHITE ROYAL’.

The new Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ is a product of a planned breedingprogram conducted by the inventor, Charlotte Holde in Odense, Denmark.The objectivity of the breeding program is to develop a new variety witha compact growth habit and white flowers.

The new Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ originated from a cross made in acontrolled breeding program made by the inventor in 2007 in Odense,Denmark. The female or seed parent is the unpatented, Campanula cultivarnamed ‘04.43.02’, and the male or pollen parent is the unpatented,Campanula cultivar named ‘04.43.12’. The new Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ wasdiscovered and selected by the inventor as a compact plant with manywhite flowers within the progeny of the stated cross in January of 2008in a controlled environment in Odense, Denmark.

Asexual reproduction of the new Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ by vegetativecuttings used and propagated since November of 2008 in Odense, Denmark,has shown that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successivegeneration of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true totype.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘WHITE ROYAL’, which in combinationdistinguish this Campanula as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. upright and compact plant habit with a dense and bushy plant        form;    -   2. vigorous growth rate and no need for chemical growth        retardation;    -   3. many uniform and white flowers and dark green leaves; and    -   4. good flower longevity on plant.

Plants of the new Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ differ from the plants of theparents, ‘04.43.02’ and ‘04.43.12’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. plants of ‘WHITE ROYAL’ have white flowers while plants of        parental cultivars ‘04.43.02’ and ‘04.43.12’ have purple        flowers;    -   2. plants of ‘WHITE ROYAL’ have darker green leaves than plants        of the parental cultivar ‘04.43.02’ and lighter green leaves        than the parental cultivar ‘04.43.12’;    -   3. plants of ‘WHITE ROYAL’ have more flowers than plants of the        parental cultivars ‘04.43.02’ and ‘04.43.12’; and    -   4. plants of ‘WHITE ROYAL’ are more compact than plants of the        parental cultivars ‘04.43.02’ and ‘04.43.12’.

The following description provides a comparison of plants of the newCampanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ to the commercial Campanula cultivars ‘PKMp03’(patented, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,826) and ‘PKMP06’ (patented, U.S.Plant Pat. No. 18,327). Plants of Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ differ fromplants of ‘PKMP03’ and ‘PKMP06’ in the following characteristics,described in Table 1:

TABLE 1 Comparison with Comparison Varieties Comparison Varieties NewVariety ‘PKMp03’ ‘PKMP06’ ‘WHITE (U.S. Plant (U.S. Plant Trait ROYAL’Pat. No. 15,826) Pat. No. 18,327) Plant Diameter About 22 cm About 25-30cm About 27 cm Stem Color Green, Yellow-green, Green, RHS 137C RHS 144BRHS 143B Immature Leaf Green, Yellow-green, Green, Color RHS N137C RHS146A RHS N138B (Upper Surface) Mature Leaf Green, Green, Green, ColorRHS N137A RHS 137A RHS N138B (Upper Surface) Venation ColorYellow-green, Green, Green, (Upper Surface) RHS 146A RHS 137D RHS 138BPetiole Color Yellow-green, Green, Green, RHS 146A RHS 138C RHS 138B BudColor White, White, RHS 155D, Green, RHS between with a slight tinge143C, to RHS 155B of violet, RHS white, to 155C 85D on upper RHS 155Dpart of opening corolla Flower Size: Diameter: About 20 mm About 25 mmAbout 25 mm Depth: About 15 mm About 17 mm About 17 mm Flower FragranceLilac scent None None Flower Longevity About 12-14 About 10-14 daysAbout 5-9 days (on plant) days

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ showing the colors as true as is reasonablypossible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors of thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of‘WHITE ROYAL’.

FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of‘WHITE ROYAL’ grown in a 11 cm pot.

FIG. 2 shows close-up views of a typical lateral branch with leaves,buds and flowers of a raceme of ‘WHITE ROYAL’.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up views of a typical leaf of ‘WHITE ROYAL’.

FIG. 4 shows close-up views of a typical flower of ‘WHITE ROYAL’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar mayvary with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensityand day length without any change in the genotype of the plant.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the followingobservations, measurements and values describe plants of the newCampanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ as grown in a heated and lighted greenhouse inOdense, Denmark, under conditions which closely approximate thosegenerally used in commercial practice. The plants of the new Campanula‘WHITE ROYAL’ were grown in a greenhouse with an average day temperatureof between 18° C. to 22° C. and an average night temperature 18 C.Ambient light levels used when growing plants of ‘WHITE ROYAL’ was +45Wm². No growth retardants were used when growing plants of Campanula‘WHITE ROYAL’. Plants of Campanula ‘WHITE ROYAL’ are grown with 15 hourlong day photoperiodic treatments from the 8^(th) week.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.), 5^(th) Edition, 2007, except where the general colors ofordinary significance are used. The age of the plants described is about16 to 18 weeks old after cutting, as grown in 11 cm pots.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Campanula portenschlagiana Schult.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female or seed parent.—Campanula portenschlagiana Schult.            designated ‘04.43.02’ (unpatented).        -   Male or pollen parent.—Campanula portenschlagiana Schult.            designated ‘04.43.12’ (unpatented).-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 3 to 4 weeks.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, well branched.-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Perennial, herbaceous plant with upright plant habit            and overall rounded shape. Campanulate flowers in racemes.            Freely branching with lateral branches forming at every            node; dense and bushy.        -   Crop time.—After rooting about 14 week are required to            produce finished flowering plants in 11 cm pots.        -   Vigor.—Vigorous.        -   Size.—Height (soil level to top of plant plane): About            10 cm. Spread: About 22 cm.        -   Stem.—Shape: Round. Strength: Strong. Color: Green, RHS            137C.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity: Average 60-65 per plant. Average            length: (include flowers): 10 cm to 14 cm. Branch diameter:            1 m to 2 mm. Leaves per lateral branch: 5 to 7. Internode            length: 10 mm to 15 mm.-   Foliage:    -   -   Type.—Leaves single, alternate; cordate shape; broadly            dentate margin; palmate venation.        -   Length.—12 mm to 25 mm.        -   Width.—20 mm to 30 mm.        -   Shape.—Cordate.        -   Apex.—Rounded to broad acuminated.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Margin.—Broadly dentate.        -   Texture (both surfaces).—Smooth, dull, glabrous.        -   Pubescence.—Short stiff hair on the abaxial side, along            veins and margin.        -   Color.—Young foliage: Upper surfaces: Green, RHS N137C.            Lower surfaces: Green, RHS 137B. Mature foliage: Upper            surfaces: Green, RHS N137A. Lower surfaces: Yellow-green,            RHS 147B.        -   Venation.—Pattern: Palmate.        -   Color.—Upper surface: Yellow-green, RHS 146A. Lower surface:            Yellow-green, RHS 146A to RHS 146B.        -   Petiole.—Length: 3 cm to 7 cm. Diameter: 1 mm to 2 mm.            Texture: Smooth with short stiff hair. Color: Yellow-green,            RHS 146A.-   Flower:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single upright flowers in            racemes. Campanulate flowers with small star shaped calyx.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout the spring            and summer. Season can be extended by long day treatments.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 12 to 14 days; however,            longevity of individual flowers is highly dependent on            temperature and light conditions. Flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Lilac scent.        -   Inflorescence size.—Length/height: About 8 cm to 10 cm.            Diameter: 50 mm.        -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—About 4-6.        -   Number of flowers and buds per plant.—About 1500.        -   Flowers.—Depth: About 15 mm. Diameter: About 20 mm. Acute            petal lobes: 7-9 mm long and 5-6 mm wide. Corolla color:            Upper surfaces: White, NN155C. Lower surface: White, NN155C.        -   Buds.—Length: Up to 15 mm. Diameter: Up to 3 mm. Shape:            Oblong, ridged. Color: White, RHS 155B to RHS 155C.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single, sympetalous. Quantity per            flower: 5. Overall shape: Bell-shaped, campanulate. Apex            shape: Acute. Base shape: Fused. Length: 7 mm to 9 mm.            Width: 5 mm to 6 mm. Margin: Entire. Texture: Velvety. Color            (when opening): Upper surfaces: White, RHS NN155C. Lower            surfaces: White, RHS NN155C.        -   Color (when opened).—Upper surfaces: White, RHS NN155C.            Lower surfaces: White, RHS NN155C.        -   Fading.—None.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Free arrangement. Quantity per            flower: 5. Overall shape: Arrow-shaped. Apex: Cuspidate.            Base: Fused. Length: 5 mm. Width: 1 mm. Margin: Entire.            Texture: Dull, with short stiff hair on abaxial side and            margin. Color: Immature (both surfaces): Yellow-green, RHS            144B. Mature (both surfaces): Green, RHS 143A.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Moderately strong. Length: About 20 mm            to 25 mm. Diameter: 1 mm. Color: Green, RHS 143A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—Stamen: Quantity per flower: 5, fused until            pollen is shed. Anther: Shape: Fused. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Color: Yellow-white, RHS 158B. Pollen: Amount: Average            production. Color: Yellow-white, RHS 158B.        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil: Quantity per flower: 1. Length: About            12 mm. Stigma: Shape: Tripartite. Color: White, RHS 155B.            Style: Length: About 11 mm. Color: White, RHS 155C. Ovary:            Color: Yellow-green, 154B.-   Seed: None observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Not observed.-   Disease/pest susceptibility: Not observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Campanula plant named ‘WHITE ROYAL’,as described and illustrated herein.